Spring Preview: Washington's 6 Most Anticipated New and Updated Venues

The city’s record snowfalls in December and February caused unexpected construction delays for many venues slated to open over the next three months. Some are now scheduled to open later than previously announced. Here’s one that has just opened its doors and five to watch for, listed in order of their debuts.

1. Opened March 4 in Mt. Vernon Triangle, the 96-seat Kushi is a casual, Japanese gastropub. The 4,000-square-foot venue is divided into three areas: a bar with more than 30 kinds of sake; a 30-seat open-kitchen robata bar that serves up charcoal-grilled meat, fish, and vegetables; and a 14-seat sushi counter. The design is Tokyo influenced and features reclaimed-wood bars, large paper lanterns imported from Japan, and 18-foot ceilings. Kushi is available for full or partial buyout.

2. With 10 locations around the world, Paris-based Buddha Bar comes to Mt. Vernon Triangle in April. Decor plans for the 170-seat restaurant and 50-seat lounge include low lighting, Asian tattoo murals, and the signature golden Buddha statue as the focal point. The menu is Asian rim with French infusion. A sunken patio will also seat 60.

3. Closed after a devastating fire in mid-December, award-winning Equinox reopens the week of April 13 with lighter, more modern decor and a recalibrated menu designed to give diners more menu options for main course accompaniments (sauces and side dishes). Chef Todd Gray and his wife/co-owner, Ellen Kassoff Gray, have replaced the dark paneling in the private dining 12-seat Wine Room with frosted glass walls for an airy look and feel.

4. After a four-year wait, noted chef Roberto Donna will open Galileo III in the former Butterfield 9 space in late April. The 80-seat restaurant includes a flexible 45-seat private dining room. Decor details in the 6,100-square-foot space include a fireplace in the entry, an open kitchen, and a color scheme of copper and sienna. In addition to the chef’s seasonal menu of traditional Italian fare with a modern, lighter touch, 100 pre-order dishes, such as suckling pig, will be available on the restaurant’s Web site.

5. On schedule for a May opening, Penn Quarter adds another Latin venue with the more than the 9,000-square-foot Cuba Libre Restaurant & Rum Bar, which promises 1950’s Havana decor and live entertainment. Staff will serve innovative Latin cuisine in a 200-seat dining room decorated with murals of Cuban life. Plans call for a 50-seat bar and lounge with an extensive rum selection and a 66-seat sidewalk café.

6. Also in May, chef Robert Wiedmaier (Marcel’s, Brasserie Beck, Brabo, and Brabo Tasting Room) expands his empire to Bethesda with Mussel Bar by RW, a 4,000-square-foot Flemish gastropub. Guests will find a 130-seat interior composed of rustic wood with polished cement floors in both the bar and dining room. On the menu: mussels four ways, wood-fired savory tarts, and more than 40 Belgian beers.